Seamus Coleman says Everton will enter next season in a “positive” frame of mind and convinced they can achieve “good things”.
Right-back Coleman headed Everton’s second goal in Friday night’s convincing 2-0 victory over Burnley.
That win was Everton’s fourth in a row at Goodison Park and the Blues’ fifth straight home game unbeaten. Marco Silva’s side has kept clean sheets in each of those matches and recorded shutouts in eight of their past 10 fixtures.
Everton have amassed 20 points in that period and scored 16 goals.
Coleman, captain for the 23rd time this term in the meeting with Burnley, has played every minute of those 10 games, which followed a 17-day break from action in February.
And the Irishman insists it is imperative that Everton capitalise on the momentum generated in the closing months of this campaign.
“We have to go into next season positively,” Coleman told evertontv.
“The fans have really got with us in the past couple of months, the atmosphere has been brilliant and it’s fed through to the players.
“If the fans and players come together, we can go on and do good things.
“The team is full of competition [for places], which is what you want as players and we’re looking forward to next season.”
Coleman’s strike in Everton’s final home game of 2018-19 was his second of the campaign, the defender's previous effort – also at the Howard Kendall Gwladys Street End – coming against Brighton & Hove Albion back in November.
He pounced after Burnley goalkeeper Tom Heaton pushed out a fizzing shot from left-back Lucas Digne, scorer of four goals this term.
Indeed, while Richarlison – whose shot was diverted in by defender Ben Mee for the opener against Burnley – and Gylfi Sigurdsson lead the way on 13 goals each, 13 Everton players have netted in the Premier League this term.
Everton have scored 52 goals in 37 top-flight games – eight more than their 2017-18 total – and comfortably surpassed last season’s points tally with one match remaining, at Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.
And Coleman – whose name was one of those sung loudest by the near-40,000 Evertonians who cheered the players on their lap of appreciation following the Burnley clash – insists his side is striking an effective balance between defence and attack.
“The defence has been great,” said Coleman.
“It starts from the front but the back five have done really well and Kurt [Zouma] and Michael [Keane] have been brilliant in the centre.
“The manager encourages us [full-backs] to get forward, we’re an attacking team and thankfully I got up there for the goal.
“I used to get in that position [close to goal] a lot, so I’m happy to score.
“It is part of my game and it’s great to get on the scoresheet.
“It was great to hear the fans chant my name. I’ve always had a great relationship with them. They supported me and the team all season and I’m very happy with how it’s ended at home.”
